Means for shifting the tubes of pneumatic straw-stackers or other purposes.



No. 765,403. PATENTBD JULY'19, 1904. v P. G. STUGKEL.

MEANS FOR SHIFTINGTHE TUBES OF PNEUMATIC STRAW STAOKERS OR OTHERPURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED SHPT. 23, 1903.

I N0 MO DEL. 2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

. Q H. l.- Q37 n H H H No. 765,408. PATENTED JULY 19, 1904.

MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE TUBES OF PNEUMATIG- STRAW STAGKERS P. G. STUGKEL.

OR OTHER PURPOSES. APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 2a, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

U km UNITED STAT S.

Patented July 19, 1904'.

PATENT OFFICE."

FRANK C. STUCKEL, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO J. I. CASE THRESHINGMACHINE COMPANY, OF'RAGINE, TVISCONSIN, A (JQR- PORATION.

MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE TUBES OF PNEUMATIC STRAW-STACKERS OR OTHERPURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,403, dated July 19,1904.

I Application filed September 23, 1903. Serial No. 174,267. (No modelf)T0 at whom it. may concern:

Be itknow n that I, FRANK C. STUCKEL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city and county of Racine, State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in cans for Shiftingthe Tubes of Pneumatic Straw-Stackers or for other Purposes, of whichthe following is a full, clear,and exact description.

This invention has for its objectprimarily to provide improved means forshifting lengthwise the extensible portion of the wind tube or trunk ofa pneumatic straw-stacker, although features of the invention areapplicable to a variety of otherpurposes, as will hereinafter appear.

Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in verticalsection, of a portion of a telescopic pneumatic stacker-tube embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 isa view in side elevation, showing part of thestacker-tube and the shifting mechanism beneath it. Fig. 3 is a view invertical cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. A is a view invertical cross-section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view invertical longitudinal section through the guy beneath the bottom of thestacker-tube, certain subjacent parts being shown in side elevation.Fig. 6 is a view in vertical cross-section on line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

In pneumatic straw-stackers it is customary to form the tubes or trunksof telescopic or extensible sections, so that the straw may be depositedupon the stack at different distances from the machine. Various meanshave been heretofore provided for effecting the longitudinal shift ofthe outer telescopic or extensible section of the stacker-tube, the mostcommon construction being to provide the inner section of the tube witha bracket reaching over the outer or extensible section and connectedtherewith by an operating-cable by which the back-and-forth movement ofthe outer section of the tube may be efi'ected. My

present invention contemplates providing the outer telescopic orextensible section of the tube with a flexible connection supported insuch manner that notwithstanding its flexibility such connection will beso held or guided as to sustain the thrust necessary to shift thetelescopic or extensible section of the tube in outward direction aswell as permitting it to be drawn inward.

The invention also comprises improved means for engaging the connectionthat leads from the telescopic or extensible section of the tube, aswill more fully appear from the following description and from theclaims at the end of this specification.

A designates the inner section of the trunk or tube of a pneumaticstraw-stacker, and B denotes the outer section of the trunk or tube. Theinner section A of the tube will be mounted in any suitable orconvenient manner upon the threshing-machine, and the outer section Bmay be provided at its outer end (not shown) with any convenient form ofhood and with suitable devices for manipulating the same. As shown, theouter end of the trunk-section A is furnished at its top with anantifrictionroller (4, adapted to support the trunk-section B, that fitsover and slides upon the outer portion of the section A. Beneath thetrunksection A extends a guide C, adapted to re ceive a chain or othersuitable flexible connection D, the outer end of which is attached, asat cl, to the inner end of the trunk-section B. The purpose of the guideC is to hold the chain or other flexible connection D against bucklingor collapsing and to permit this connection to receive the thrustnecessary to move the telescopic or extensible section B in outwarddirection. As shown, the guide C is a metal channel having downwardlyand inwardly extending flanges c, that inclose and support the sides ofthe chain 1). As shown, this guide G is sustained beneath thetube-section A by bands E and E, that extend around the trunk-section Aand are connected together at the top thereof by a bar 6. The

guide C thus serves to hold the chain or conthe chain D passes into atrough-like receiver F, which is shown as secured by ears f to the innerend portion of the tube-section A. This chain-receiver F, as shown inFig. 6, is of a width corresponding to that of the chain D or isslightly greater than that of the chain, so that lateral movement of thechain-links is prevented, and hence the accidental separation of thelinks from one anothercannot occur, it being understood that in thepreferred embodiment of the invention, which is that shown in thedrawings, the chain D is formed of detachable links.

So far as I am aware the present invention presents the first instancein which a flexible device such as a chain or the like has been providedwith a guide or other means for holding it against buckling orcollapsing, thereby permitting the chain or like flexible device toreceive the thrust necessary to shift the movable part connectedthereto.

While the invention is more particularly designed as a means forshifting the telescopic or extensible section of a pneumaticstrawstacker, it will be readily understood that so far as this broadfeature is concerned the invention is susceptible of use in othermachines embodying relatively fixed and movable members, the movablemember being provided with a flexible connection furnished with a guidefor holding it sufficiently rigid to pe mit a thrust to be transmittedthrough the flexible connection to said movable member.

While other suitable means may be employed for imparting movement to thechain or connection D, I prefer to use for such purpose the mechanismnext to be described. Beneath the tube-section A and preferably boltedto the inner band E is a frame G, the side bars g of which are formedwith slots g, in which are mounted the lateral projections It of ayoke-shaped pawl-carrier H. Through the arms of the pawl-carrier Hprojects the shaft J on which is pivotally supported the pawl K. To theouter ends of the shaft J are connected the links M, the rear ends ofwhich are pivotally secured, as at m, to the lower end of a rock-arm N,that is fixed upon a shaft n, journaled in the rear ends of the sidebars g of the frame Gr. The shaft n is provided with a shifting lever N,that extends upwardly at the side of the tube-section A and is furnishedwith a handle 22/ whereby it may be conveniently manipulated. Preferablythe pawl K is a double-ended pawl, and in order to throw either end ofthe pawl K into engagement with the cross-bars of the links of the chainD, I prefer to provide the springactuated spindle P, that passes looselythrough a hole in the bottom of the pawl-carrier H and is provided atits upper end with a stud 19, adapted to engage with either of thenotches Z: and k, arranged at opposite sides of the center of the pawlK, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. A spring R encircles thespindle P between its head p and the bottom of the pawl-carrier H andserves to hold the stud p in engagement with the pawl K and to forceeither end of the pawl into yielding contact with the chain D. As shown,the spindle P is provided with a laterally-extending bar or projection pwhereby it may be retracted and turned when the stud p is to be shiftedfrom one notch or it" to the other notch of the pawl K. The pawl-carrierH is preferably formed of vertical sections conveniently boltedtogether, as at its.

From the construction as thus far described it will be seen that whenthe parts are in the position shown in the several figures of thedrawings the outer end of the pawl K will be in engagement with thelinks of the chain D. If now the operator shifts the lever N, he canforce outwardly the chain D, and as this chain is held by the guide Cagainst buckling or collapsing the outward thrust exerted by the pawl Kupon the chain will be transmitted to the section B of the stacker-tubeand will force said tube-section outward to the required extent. At eachstroke of the lever N in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, thepawl-carrier H will be shifted through the rock-arm N and links M inopposite direction and will correspondingly force outward thetube-section B; but as the lever N is returned to the position shown bydotted lines in Fig. 1 the end of the pawl K will ride over thecross-bars of the links of the chain D, being yieldingly held in theposition shown by the pintle P and spring R. hen it is desired toretract the tube-section B in order to shorten the tube, the operatorwill shift the stud p at the top of the pintle P into engagement withthe notch it" of the pawl K, thereby throwing'the inner end of the pawlinto engagement with the chain D.

As shown, the outer end of the frame G sets between the arms of a frameS that are bolted to the encircling band E. This frame S is providedwith afriction block or brake T, the shank tof which passes through thecrossbars 8 and s of the frame S and is encircled by the coil-spring V,that bears against the cross-bar s of the frame S and against a pin t,that passes through the shank zfiof the friction block or brake T. Asthe friction block or brake T bears yieldingly against the chain D, itwill hold the chain, and consequently the tube-section B, againstaccidental movement.

It is manifest that within the scope of the following claims any otherconvenient means may be employed for actuating the chain or connection Dand that instead of a chain any other suitable flexible connection maybe used without departing from the spirit of the invention. The chain Din the construction shown forms a flexible rack that is exposed throughthe longitudinal slot in the under side of the guide 0 to the action ofthe pawl K;

but I do not wish the invention in its broad scope to be understood asrestricted to a chain or to a pawl for actuating it, although these areemployed in the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with relatively fixed and movable members, of a chainor flexible rack connected to the movable member, alongitudinally-slotted guide or support for holding said chain or rackwith sufficient rigidity to permit a thrust to be transmittedtherethrough to said movable member and means for engaging said chain orrack to effect its longitudinal movement.

2. In a pneumatic stacker having fixed and movable stacker-tubesections, the combination with a-movable tube-section, of a flexible thestacker-tube, a guide or support for holding said flexible device withsuflicient rigidity to permit a thrust to be transmitted therethrough tosaid movable tubesection and means for exerting the thrust upon saidflexible device.

3. In a pneumatic stacker, the combination with the relatively fixed andmovable stackertube sections, of a chain connected to the movabletube-section, a guide or holder arranged upon the outside of the fixedstackertube sectionfor retaining said chain against buckling orcollapsing and means for exert- .ing an outward thrust upon said chainto cause it to shift the movable stacker-tube section.

4. The combinationwith a movable stackertube section, of a chainconnected thereto, a guide for holding said chain against buckling orcollapsing when a thrust is exerted thereon, a pawl for engaging saidchain and means for imparting reciprocating movement to said pawl.

5. The combination with a movable stackertube section, of a chain orflexible rack connected thereto, a longitudinally-slotted guide engagingthe sides of said chain or rack to hold the same against buckling orcollapsing, a pawl for engaging said chain or rack and means forimparting movement to said pawl.

6. The combination with a movable stackertube section, a chain orflexible rack connected thereto, a guide for holding said chain or rackagainst buckling or collapsing when a thrust is exerted thereon, a pawlfor engaging said chain or rack, means for yieldingly holding said pawlin engagement with said chain or rack and means for imparting alengthwise movement to said pawl to shift saidchain or rack.

7. The combination with a movable stackertube section, of a chain orflexible rack connected thereto, a guide for holding said chain or rackagainst buckling or collapsing when a thrust is exerted thereon, adouble-ended pawl for engaging said chain or rack, means for throwingthe opposite ends of said pawl into and out of engagement with saidchain or rack and suitable means for imparting a reciprocating movementto said pawl.

8. The combination with a movable stackertube section, of a chain orflexible rack connected thereto, a guide for holding said chain or rackagainst buckling or collapsing when a thrust is exerted thereon, adouble-ended pawl for engaging said chain or rack, a reversiblespring-actuated device whereby either end of said pawl may be throwninto engagement with said chain or rack and means for imparting areciprocating movement to said pawl.

- 9. The combination with a movable stackertube section, of a chain orflexible rack connected thereto, a guide extending lengthwise of saidchain or rack and serving to hold the same against bucklingor'collapsing when a thrust is exerted thereon, means for engaging saidchain or rack to move it longitudinally within said guide and a troughor receptacle of approximately the width of the chain and serving toreceive the chain or flexible rack as it issues from the guide.

10. The combination with a movable stackertube section, of a chain orflexible rack connected thereto, a guide for holding said chain or rackagainst buckling or collapsing when a thrust is exerted thereon, areciprocating 'pawl for engaging said chain or rack and a rock-shaft andlever connected to said reciprocating pawl.

1 1. The combination with a movable stackertube section, of a chain orflexible rack connecting thereto, a guide for holding said chain or rackagainst buckling or collapsing'when a thrust is exerted thereon, a pawlfor engaging said chain or rack, a reciprocating pawl-carrier and aframe for supporting it and lever mechanism connected to saidpawlcarrier whereby it may be shifted back and forth.

12. In a pneumatic stacker, the combination with the fixed and movablestacker-tube sec- 'tions, of a chain or flexible rack connected to themovable stacker-tube section, a guide arranged beneath the fixedtube-section and adapted to hold said chain or rack against buckling orcollapsing when a thrust is exerted thereon, a pawl located beneath thefixed tube-section for engaging said chain or rack to move it inlongitudinal direction and a spring-actuated brake arranged beneath saidtube-section and beneath said chain'or rack for holding the latteragainst accidental move-

